Electorates must give priority to district elections — NCCE

THE National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has described the district level elections as one of the most important elections that should be given priority attention by the electorate because that is where the basic developmental needs of Ghanaians are addressed.
The commission is, in this regard, to roll out a sustained programme to whip up interest in the district level election.
“Effective November 15, 2010, the commission would start the programme which would be replicated throughout all the 170 districts targeted at reversing the apathetic nature of Ghanaians towards district elections, “ the Deputy Chairman of the NCCE, Mrs Augustina Akumanyi, told the Daily Graphic.
She said the programme was designed at whipping up interest in the district election and also increasing the number of female and disabled Ghanaians vying to become assembly and unit committee members.
Mrs Akumanyi said it was high time Ghanaians were made to be clear in their minds that the substantive agents for development were the district assemblies and not Members of Parliament (MP) and that if they needed development, they should be interested in who became their assembly member.
The deputy NCCE chairman noted that it was the civic responsibility of all Ghanaians of voting age to be interested in who represented their interest, aspirations and concerns at the various districts.
She said Ghanaians who wanted the real development of their communities should show interest by either vying for the position of assembly members or vote for people who were honest, hardworking and responsible to represent their interest at the assembly.
Mrs Akumanyi said the commission would also involve the youth, especially those in the senior high school, to inculcate the spirit of democracy in them.
That, she said, would ensure that the young ones would grow up and take political office as a national call to serve and make life better for people and not to enrich ones self.
The programme includes community durbars and fora on the district elections, the general electoral processes and the need for active citizen participation. It will also include radio discussion programmes on all networks at the district and community levels, direct community contacts with community leaders and potential candidates of the December 28, district elections.
Education flyers and posters would be used to raise and sustain public awareness of the elections and local governance reforms.
Public education would also be used to promote active participation of women, the physically challenged and other vulnerable groups in the district elections and the general electoral process.
Mrs Akumanyi said although the commission was constrained by resources, it would try as much as possible to reach as many people as possible.
Touching on the low number of women who contest and also sail through to become assembly members, she said the commission had also initiated a special programme where they were being educated on how they would go about their campaign, especially how to package their message.